Central Florida has Underground Rivers?

In the state of Florida has several ways to "naturally" clean fun, refreshing and exciting for all who seek. Some of the best destinations in Florida are freshwater sites, rivers and cold light sources. The springs are particularly interesting, and many visitors flock to Florida these exceptional natural wonders . More than $ 500 million injected into Florida's economy each year from water sites freshwater state.

Central Florida springs come in various shapes, sizes and quantities. Some sources are artesian in nature, millions of gallons per minute flowing, some slowly bubble sources between your toes in the sand, while others are completely underground and never seen. Most sources are treasures to be discovered, hidden by dense forest, most undisturbed areas, or left in the condition of natural environments. Florida acquires much of its strategic location, as natural watersheds, springs, lakes, rivers and other very critical ecosystems responsible for freshwater springs in Florida. Many springs in Florida are held by individual and industry as well.

Central Florida springs, rivers, lakes, ponds, etc., are provided by the aquifer water stored in the soil of Central Florida, as ground water or "aquifer systems". Many call aquifers, underground rivers, because the water in the aquifer systems can move with considerable flow like a river.
Aquifers can be considered large permeable rock caves, "containing" the water and create a movement hydrogeological holes in the rock due to the pressure naturally developed "Head". The aquifer can be formed from different types of clay materials such as sands, clays, shell, limestone and karst.

Interestingly, the water can be trapped in these water systems for years before rising to the surface, coming out of a spring. Natural sources give us an overview of water systems and how they may appear underground too.

Some of Florida's rivers disappear completely only to the downstream surface again. The Santa Fe River in northern Florida is an excellent example of a disappearance of the river. This particular river flows into a large chasm in O'Leno State Park and reappears around the River Rise Preserve State Park.

Florida sinkholes
The type of landscape which we speak is excellent for natural sources and water systems to form. However, the holes are also common due to the natural Florida landscape and plant. Sinkholes occur

naturally in central Florida, but recently, their frequency has increased.
Unfortunately, when holes develop suddenly, loss of property and life may occur. A gaping hole in a residential area of ​​Seffner, Florida, where a man asleep in his house was swallowed by the hole and never found. Over pumping of Florida's groundwater resources can also cause holes to form.

Karst landscape of Florida
"Karst" subsurface rock in Florida is relatively fragile and not to support compressive loads as well. incompressible water in underground aquifers acts as a solid to resist surface soils. Karst rock landscapes are known for the formation of the sink and the karst landscape of Florida is no exception. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) confirmed this by injecting dye into underground waterways of Florida and expect it to reappear downstream. The only karst landscape, as you can see, "cache" much of Florida rain water by absorbing it on the floor and contains naturally in functional caves, aquifers and springs. If you can imagine, the karst area of ​​central Florida "floats" on a freshwater bubble called the Florida aquifer system.

Reference
1. Escapes Cool: refreshing springs Florida | Florida Rambler.
2. Rio Santa Fe (Florida). Wikipedia
3. University of Florida, UF research: underground rivers sources
Florida Mine your site to learn the practice unethical mining strip in Florida phosphate. See how they destroy and pollute unique systems of aquifers, watersheds, springs, creeks and rivers.